Spotify Starts Trialling NFTs on its Platform

Music streaming giant Spotify will soon allow artists to promote their NFTs on the platform, pending the results of a trial rollout.

Starting with a single pilot group of artists, among them American DJ/producer Steve Aoki and English indie band the Wombats, Spotify will test NFTs on the platform on behalf of “selected” US users.

Spotify Won’t Sell NFTs Directly, Nor Take a Cut of Sales

However, Spotify will not sell NFTs directly – users will need to tap through to an external marketplace to make purchases. The streaming platform says it will not take a cut of the sales as part of the test.

According to a Spotify spokesperson:

We routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve artist and fan experiences. Some of those tests end up paving the way for a broader experience and others serve only as an important learning.

Spotify spokesperson

Surveys Meet With Derision on Twitter

Users report that Spotify has also sent out surveys and even offered people compensation for chats with team members about their attitudes toward NFTs and Web3. Some of these survey questions have been met with outright derision on Twitter:

Spotify officially entered the Web3 world earlier this month with the May 3 launch of ‘Spotify Island‘ on Roblox. The move had been flagged back in March when the company posted two job ads related to working with early-stage Web3 projects.

Well might Spotify get on board with Web3, if only to compete with the likes of streaming app Audius, the world’s first fully decentralised music platform. Last year, pop superstar Katy Perry (and others) invested in a US$5 million funding round for the crypto-powered service. Interestingly, one of the other investors happens to be Steve Aoki.